Monday, February 10, 2014

Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves is on a small island Elephanta just 11 km north-east of the Apollo Bandar, Mumbai. This is a small round island which is 7 km in circumference. The island is named after a colossal elephant found in the island, which is popularly known as ‘Gharapuri’.

After reaching the island one can either walk by a narrow road or go by a narrow-gauge toy train from the boat area to the base of the steps leading up to the caves. As the caves are located on the top of a hillock one has to climb up a flight of 600 steps to reach the caves. The island consists of two groups of caves: the first is a large group of five Hindu caves, the second, a smaller group of two Buddhist caves. The caves we visited here are:

These caves hewn from solid basalt rock have been dated to between the 5th and 8th centuries. The Hindu caves contain rock cut stone sculptures, representing the Shaiva Hindu sect, dedicated to the god Shiva. The sculptures here not only huge, but also magnificent and beautiful. These caves have been declared a World Heritage Site.

The place is open from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. To reach this place one has to travel by ferry or boat from the Gateway of India in the Mumbai. The journey takes 1 hour to reach the island by sea.

About Me

Love traveling across India and capturing what I see in images. There is so much to discover and one life is not enough. I just love the experience. This is my small attempt to share my experiences with the world.
Contact: rajeshprabh@gmail.com